These days, more of us are considering open-plan living for our homes. While new builds are often constructed in this way, people looking to renovate are also trying their hand at making modifications to their existing buildings to make them lighter, airier, and more spacious to live in.
How can this be easily achieved, and what design choices can you go for? Whether choosing beautifully tonal designer lampshades or opting for lighting that sets the right mood, there are many ways you can make an open-plan space feel more inviting. Let’s explore them.
Wise Use of Accent Colors
Light, bright colors make the most of any household space, immediately giving a feeling of openness, but in an open-plan space, they come into their own. However, it isn’t just about the main shades and tones you use. Think wisely about the accent colors you might pick.
For instance, you might want light gray or white walls in all your main rooms, but then choose some mustard-colored accent cushions to go on chairs, or the same shade rugs on the floors. If brighter, bolder colors are more your thing, why not choose red artwork or bright red fixtures and fittings?
Use the Same Types of Materials Throughout Your Home
The types of flooring and the paint colors you opt for should always be the same throughout an open-plan living space. So, for instance, if you have beautiful wooden floors in your main room, this theme should be continued throughout the interior. The same goes for paints too. If you decorate one room in one shade, then all the others in the same space should be the same too, to give a feeling of continuity.
Choose Different Ways of Defining Your Rooms
Although it’s an open-plan space, there still needs to be some kind of definition between the rooms, and you’ll want some kind of separation, for instance, from the dining room and the living area.
One great way of doing this is by choosing large rugs that can give a feeling of anchoring you in one definite area within the house. You could place one in the living room (as that’s often where you might find them in a conventionally planned home). They’ll add a feeling of relaxation and warmth.
Focal Points Are Key
Each defined space in an open-plan area needs some kind of focal point, to draw your eye to it and give a sense of peace. So, for instance, if you were planning to have a space that has a retro feel to it, you might want to think about having a vintage fireplace in the living room, or even an AGA in the kitchen, to keep everywhere warm all year round. Finish this off with some retro light fittings in the dining room. If your tastes are a bit more modern, look at a stainless steel cooker hood in the kitchen and chrome fittings in the living room.
Lighting Can Make All the Difference
As mentioned earlier, choosing the right kind of lighting fixtures and lampshades can make a huge difference in creating how an open-plan space looks and feels.
Choosing different types of lighting for each area also helps define it better. You might want some retro shades in the dining room and maybe spotlights in the kitchen area. However, in the living space, you might want to rely on lamps and low lighting to create a relaxed, intimate feel to your surroundings.
Focus on Furniture
As well as using rugs to create definite areas in a space like this, you can also do the same with furniture. How you place chairs, sofas, and tables can add definition and make an open-plan space feel more inviting. Plus, it makes that distinct dividing line between ‘this is the space we eat in’ and ‘this is the space we relax and read in’. The same goes for tables too. The sorts of tables you might have in a dining room are distinctly different and more prominent than, say, a console table in a living room. They’ll add interest and make the room look more relaxing.
Your interior design choices are personal to you, and you know what will work for you when you’re designing an open plan space. Still, having a few simple rules to stick to can help with planning an interior that works well and that you want to come home to every day.
